Class of 2020
Meet the MHCI+D class of 2020
Adriane Kuzminski
Adriane is a sound designer with a passion for accessibility and collaboration. This has led her to work on blind-accessible games like A Hero’s Call, Frequency Missing, Earplay and others, and serve as an accessibility consultant for companies like imitone LLC and The Deep End Games. She has also spoken about her research in blind accessibility in video games at GameSoundCon, GAconf, CarouselCon, Montreal Indie Games Summit and NYC Game Audio, and she has donated countless hours to advising developers and educators who are looking to learn more about accessibility by sharing her research and getting them in touch with gamers and sound designers with visual impairments. She is also a Producer with Team Audio, a Content Creator with A Sound Effect/Soundlister, a leading Volunteer Council member of The Audio Mentoring Project, and a member of the U.S. Army Reserves.
Alex Krzyzosiak
I come to MHCI+D with a background in design research/innovation. I love getting to the root of the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind people’s actions and why what they say doesn’t always align with what they do. I’m always looking at the world and how people interact with it - often redesigning it in my head. I’m looking develop my design skills as I’d love to pivot into Interaction Design. I’m interested in emerging tech, accessibility and applying human-centered design to mental health.
Andrew Lillie
Hi, my name is Andrew Lillie and I am a UX designer. Originally from the Midwest, I graduated from Indiana University with a BS in Computer Science and Human-Centered Computing. Creating and building things in my passion and I bring this to my HCI work by emphasizing rapid iteration and prototyping in my design process. I like to be very hands-on in all aspects of design, especially research and think that engaging with and having empathy for users is the biggest key to success.
Bingqing Chen
I’m a front-end web developer and UX designer with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Graphics Technology. Creating accessible and usable websites by incorporating user-centered design approaches is my true passion. I enjoy immersing myself in web programming as well as designing visual art pieces. Connecting with people from multidisciplinary backgrounds and learning about inspiring stories from them also motivates me to keep passion and imagination. During my spare time, I love to travel, take photographs, and explore foodie destinations!
Brenda Penn
Hi, I’m Brenda. I want to create beautiful, meaningful experiences. I am an aspiring UX designer with a BS in Computer Science. I was a Web Designer at a creative agency, where my passion for design grew and I started to define what creative meant to me. I have always been drawn to design, but until now, never thought I was “creative” enough to be a designer. Then, I discovered the design side of tech and knew thats what I wanted to pursue. I am excited to see where this passion leads me next.
Casey Jabbour
Hello! I’m a designer currently expanding my knowledge and skills as a masters candidate in the University of Washington’s Human Computer Interaction + Design. My innate sense of curiosity has brought me amazing opportunities ranging from operating a press on a cruise ship out of England, to leading a digital redesign at a men’s fashion magazine in New York City, to designing at a hectic start up in music production tech. Since I push myself to keep learning something new, I’ve touched product, graphic, motion, and production design. While I take my work very seriously, I never take myself seriously. I’m usually in the process of planning a road trip or two and try to check off a National Park every time I travel (I’m currently at 22/60!). Bonus points should be awarded for my ability to keep houseplants alive in a basement apartment. My trash-cat Rosco was found living in the garbage of a Brooklyn pizza shop and enjoys wearing stylish pocket squares as bandanas.
Cheyenne Ismailciuc
Hey! I'm Cheyenne. I’m a product designer with endless curiosity about our world and eager to develop new, innovative products and experiences to create a positive, meaningful impact for everyone. With previous experience at a real estate social network start-up, and with my passion for developing intuitive user journeys, I am motivated to consistently challenge my creative thinking to reinvent the ways we interact with products today.
Divya Polson
I'm a product designer and developer with a love for data and visual communication. I graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I studied cognitive psychology & computer science. Before coming to the MHCI+D program, I worked at Target as a software engineer on the flagship app team and the same-day delivery team. Some of my interests include creative coding, educational tech, and storytelling through unexpected formats. Aside from school and work, I enjoy ramen, board games, and Spotify's Discover Weekly playlists.
Emily Campbell
I am an illustrator with a BFA from the University of Connecticut. My creative work is all about whimsical observation and storytelling. For 5 years I was a UX product designer working on a variety of health related projects. To me, the world of fine art and experience design go hand in hand as both exist to elicit and facilitate emotional responses. For this reason, I return to school looking to give illustration a stronger voice and purpose within human-computer interaction. I look forward to collaborating in new areas of design by creating work that is inclusive, delightful, and full of meaningful visuals. As I embark on this year long journey at the University of Washington, I plan to take advantage of the richness of skill sets and backgrounds my cohort has to offer along with experiencing a vibrant community of driven designers.
Gaby Chan
I’m a designer who graduated in 2018 from UCLA with a degree in Communication Studies and Digital Humanities. Outside of school, I was doing marketing and visual design work for local nonprofit organizations, music artists, and content creators. In the last year, I’ve been working for two edtech start-ups — an AI adaptive learning platform and a cloud-based tutoring management system. I enjoy capturing the dynamic world around me with my camera from live music shows to candid busy streets to moments with my loved ones.
Giada Sun
Hello, I am Giada. In my previous experience in media arts and theater design, I explored new technologies and unusual platforms for creating storytelling experiences. My previous works cover interaction design for theatrical performances, experimental games, and artificial intelligence generated arts. After discovering my passion for combining art, design, and science, I decided to join the program to develop my knowledge and skills in Human-Computer Interaction. My current design interests include storytelling, gamification, artificial intelligence, and how to expand the possibility space of design using emerging prototyping techniques. Aside from a designer, I am also a Taiwanese, an amateur coffee brewer, a post-rock fan, a Japanese anime lover, and a meme fanatic.
Haicheng Lin
As a product designer with math and visual arts double degrees, I appreciated both artistry and the science necessary to create outstanding products people love. My enthusiasm for designing and building engaging products and experiences is matched by my passion for supporting and working with other team members to bring them to life. Prior to UW, I have been working in NYC for over three years, dedicating in the creation of delightful and efficiency HR-related software and provide better business solutions for workforce management and talent acquisition.
Hani Kruger
I came to MHCI+D as a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I studied psychology. Since graduation, I have had a few different opportunities within the UX field that propelled me to pursue further education in HCI. Last fall I was working abroad at an augmented reality start-up, which has sparked my interest in exploring the vast applications within the AR/VR space during my time here. I have also gotten my feet wet in human factors consulting where I was focused on usability testing of medical devices. I believe that my past experiences have allowed me to get a taste for different parts of the overall design-thinking process, and am excited to expand my research and design skillsets in order to design for social good.
Heather Hsueh
Hi, my name is Heather Hsueh. I come from an industrial design background, and decided to transition into UX design because of my interests in IOT and virtual interfaces in physical spaces/contexts. Questions of data privacy and transparency especially fascinate (and concern) me, and as a prospective UX designer I hope to have a role in advocating user empathy and ethical design. When I'm not designing, I'm playing my guitar and writing cryptic poems.
Jacob Burke
I’m a designer with a bachelor’s degree in Informatics: Human-Computer Interaction, and experiences in the UX Design field. Coming to this Master’s program, I plan on working closely with my forward-thinking peers to get more practice designing deeply empathetic experiences and keeping up with the ever-changing world. My lifelong goal is to give people of all backgrounds and ages the means to convenient yet mindful technology that will help them change their potential and ultimately achieve more.
Jean He
Hello! My name is Jean (Xincong) He, I am a multidisciplinary designer with a BFA degree in Graphic Design at ArtCenter College of Design, where my emphasis of the study was brand identity and visual interaction design. I enjoy listening to stories, reacting to emotions, turning ideas into strategies and experiences that people care about — always trying to be a collaborative processional maker, a passionate designer, and a visionary dreamer. Sometimes, I also make some meaningful bullsh*t. Help often, stay humble, and love more.
Jeff Rosen
Hi, I'm Jeff! I have a bachelor's in Emerging Media from Ithaca College, which was a degree comprised of computer science, digital design and UX/HCI research. After graduating in 2017, I started my own independent market research consultancy, though which I performed consulting, analytics and data management for Fortune 500 brands. My passion lies with HX/HCI, though, and I’m using the MHCI+D program to get myself back into the field while bolstering my skills with the experiences I had running my own business. I’m at my best when working with people that bring multiple skill sets to the table and figuring out how everyone can best contribute to the task at hand. Outside of school and work, I enjoy all kinds of video, board and card games, as well as birding, cooking and all other things food.
Kitty(Jiahui) He
I’m a product designer passionate about practicing human-centered design to create experiences that help diverse audiences to improve lives. I come to MHCI + D from a bachelor’s degree in management science and experience with sales operations. I advocate UX research and believe that good design solutions to human problems are desirable, viable and feasible. I’m eager to apply my UX design skills to create designs for social impact and make the world a safer and healthier place to live for people.
Lisa Liu
I’m a designer and researcher from Texas (also Michigan and Virginia, and before that, China)! I graduated from UT Austin in 2014 with a BA in MIS, working at PwC as a software developer. After discovering UX, I took a flying leap of faith to work as a UX Designer and also UX Researcher at RealPage Inc. I’m interested in moving from a super practical industry mindset to investigating more human-centered ideas. In my free time, I love drawing and illustration! I’m also your person if you want to learn about coloring hair 🙂
Marisa Chentakul
I am enthusiastic about creating human-centered products and experiences using an interdisciplinary approach. Prior to this program, I have worked at Design+Code where we teach designers how to code and developers how to design. Every week, you can listen to me ramble about Design on a podcast that I co-founded. Design Picnic is a platform that provides inspirations and resources on human-centered design in collaboration with Thai designers around the globe. All design things aside, I also run “mesh” a small business that promotes sustainability in the world of fashion. I want to influence people to be a creator of fashion, not just a consumer of it. I believe that the fashion industry, being the third most polluting industry, can be a leader in creating positive change.
Mehul Shah
I'm a UX Researcher & Designer with a background in Computer Science. Prior to the program, I was working as a Software Analyst in India & London. I feel the reason I like computer science, and why I love design is that at heart I’m a creator. I guess it only took a little bit of persuasion to realize that I wanted to use design as a medium to work without constraints and connect with the environment.
Miguel Gutierrez
Born and raised in Los Angeles, you can catch me reading Value Sensitive Design as I drink my post-workout smoothie at your local vegan cafe. Before attending UW, I studied at UCLA and worked in UX at several museums, such as The Hammer, The Fowler, The Broad, and LAXART. My background in art theory and digital humanities informs my design practice, where I strive for critical, inclusive, and ethical responses to human problems. Let's get brunch, go for a hike, or chat over coffee!
Nadia Kaheil
Hi! I’m a designer with a business background. I completed my undergrad in Management and Chinese at the University of Cambridge. After graduating, I ran a business exporting products from China and Thailand. I really enjoyed designing brands and testing products. I also freelanced as a web designer. I'm here because I realized that I wanted to learn how to design for more impactful products. In my free time I like to listen to audiobooks, work out, and enjoy the incredible PNW scenery.
Natra Zeryihun
Hello! I’m a multidisciplinary designer with a background in graphic design, branding, marketing, and user research. I've applied my diverse skillset to create pleasant and meaningful experiences across various industries. My innate interests in people, creativity, and technology are what led me to the field of user experience design and I’m excited about building solutions that are both empathetic and accessible.
Nimeela Daripineni
I am interested in designing meaningful experiences between humans, objects and spaces. My expertise in industrial design has allowed me to create such moments through wearable technology and sporting gear. HCI adds an extra dimension to my intention to create impactful interactions between people and innovative products. I see myself at the forefront of discovery and design. I refuse to be limited by "what is" as I strive for "what can be."
Olga Khvan
Olga is a cross-cultural UX/UI and Visual designer, transitioning to User Experience design and research. With a background in Computer Science, experience in Editorial design, she combines aesthetic visual language and imaginative solutions for complex design problems. She is focused on the creation of seamless experiences based on the research and data-driven approach. Her last project is the e-government of Kazakhstan, also she is a co-founder of Sheberkhana makerspace back at her hometown.
Rachel DeNoble
I’m fascinated by how humans have used technology to transcend the biological experience, and I’m inspired to facilitate this evolution with thoughtful design responses to problems large and small. With a few years of production design experience from Facebook and Apple, I’ve developed an eye for detail and have delivered pixel-perfection at scale. Now I’m aiming to broaden and strengthen my design skillset, and contribute to projects on a more strategic level.
Rene Goldfarb-Ilyashov
I’m a UX designer who joined MHCI+D to expand my understanding of design and explore cutting edge design mediums. After majoring in history, I discovered UX design while working on a user research project at an edtech nonprofit. This experience shifted my career trajectory, and since then I’ve worked as a UX designer at a startup and at Google (via Adecco). Bringing together my diverse experience with the tools I learn in MHCI+D, I hope to push the boundaries of design in my next career move.
Rui Song
My previous architecture background trained me to think for the user, so becoming a UX designer felt like a natural transition in my career. I have a distinct love for solving users’ problem and a relentless belief that anything is possible. As an interdisciplinary designer, I am passionate about designing seamless, unified experiences when people transition across devices, environments, and activities, and toggle between the digital and the physical.
Shian Yang
As an interdisciplinary designer in 3D animation, visual design, film and music production, I’m passionate about using aural and visual methods to express and create user-centered design. I hold a BA degree in Musicology and an MFA degree in Film and Digital Media. I believe visual communication can evoke empathy and impact people in subconscious ways. Combining my experiences with HCI, I strive to craft my design to render imagination and develop a thorough understanding of humans to force positive impacts.
Vanshika Swaika
I'm a product designer by day & a hand letterer by night. I find delight in everyday things, but not without finding ways to better it. I question the norm & am driven by the ambition to work in an environment that encourages that. I approach problems inside out & will go to great extents to get it just right. My open mindedness, cultural sensitivity, & unwavering determination to push my boundaries builds the foundation of a human centered and well rounded approach to any product I work on.
Veronica Wojnas
I’m a researcher and service designer who believes in the power of listening and analysis to solve the toughest design challenges. After studying business and history; I spent 4 years working in the public sector on digital service design, user research, and program development initiatives. This sparked my interest in the design process, especially when it’s combined with behavioral and positive design concepts and considers accessibility. When my laptop is off; you can find me going for a run, trying to knit, or treasure-hunting at a thrift shop.
Wan Ting Chen
Hi, I am an interaction designer interested in crafting human-centered experiences through process-driven design methods. My undergraduate degree in Environmental Design informed my interdisciplinary approach to design. In my past experiences as a designer, I have worked with multidisciplinary design teams across branding, exhibition design, and architecture, informing design solutions that incorporate ideas in business, design, and technology. In my time at UW, I am seeking to extend beyond the use of technology to cultivate meaningful social and behavior relationships with emerging technology. My current interest in interaction design focuses on accessibility and inclusive design. I root my design in rationale and rigorous design research to design with rather than design for, users in the real world.
Weixi Zhang
I'm a recent graduate of Trinity College, where I double majored in Computer Science and Studio Arts with a minor in Cognitive Science. My interdisciplinary background enables me to engage myself in activities that merge the components of art, human behavior and technology to build better solutions to intransigent problems. Click on any of my links to connect.
Wenjia Zhao
I am a product designer with an architectural background and an eye for design. Prior to UW, I have been working on over 10+ building projects in marketing sectors, including healthcare, High education, and Labs. After spending years on solving problems around people, space, and tectonic, now I’m excited to bring my design thinking into the area of people, media, and technology. Although Context changed, my passion for discovering elegant but straightforward design solutions through complexity and ambiguity is always the same.
Xiaoshi Dai
Hi there! My name is Xiaoshi and I envision myself to work as a Product Designer helping create effective products along with pleasant experiences for users. I come to MHCI+D from a bachelor's degree in Journalism and have years of working experience as a product manager in the realm of technology and social networking. I believe that good design is to "Make it simple, but significant."
Xue(Miki) Bin
Hi, I am a multidisciplinary designer holding a BS in Interactive Media Arts at New York University Shanghai. Art and design sometimes speak different languages. However, I learned to adopt a critical lens from art practice to investigate socially impactful designs. Coming to this program, I hope to study and practice different tools to facilitate design thinking, to demystify technology, and to design for the people.
Yagmur Erten
I recently transitioned into design from IT consultancy through the MHCID program. I feel blessed and excited that I found exactly what I love in UX research and design. The transition of a concept turning into a product, through user research and testing, mesmerizes me every second. My psychology background supports my passion for developing smart and thoughtful user engagement systems for user-based problems. Aside from my academic and professional interests, I am a big music enthusiast and restaurant hunter. During my free time, I enjoy volunteering for Sofar Sounds, seeing improv comedy shows, playing board games with friends and discovering cool bars, coffeeshops and restaurants!
Yao Wang
I was a product manager in China for two years, working on a productivity app(YoudaoNote) and a math-learning app for kids(YoudaoMath). Prior to that, my undergraduate and first master's background was in communication engineering, which was quite different from my previous work and the current program. Love coffee and bubble tea!
Yating Zhang
Hello! My name is Yating Zhang. I describe myself as a design lover and life thinker with an artist spirit. I got my bachelor's degree in industrial design at the University of Illinois at Urbana and Champaign. After I graduated from university, I worked as a user experience designer at Bytedance. Coming to the MHCID program, I hope to expand my knowledge of HCI and also human-center design methodologies. My current design interest is (1) on better the work experience of urban people and reduces the barrier between elderly citizens and modern technologies. In my spare time, I enjoy observing pedestrians, listening to music, and watching youtube videos. I'm always keen to explore new things and meet new people! Feel free to contact me!
Zara Abraham
I am a visual storyteller and my aim is to bring to life anything that can be imagined.I have a background in film and animation and now, I’m passionate about using dynamic visual storytelling to bring human-centered experiences to life. I have spent the last 4 years building user interfaces and managing the application development team for mobile health behavior research at Stanford's School of Medicine, while I trained as a CGI animator, modeler, and rigger. I also enjoy founding fake clubs, flailing around on the rugby field, analyzing classic films and capturing candid moments for my mini-vlogs.
Zoë Rathbun
With a background in psychology and neuroscience research, experimental art, and web development, I’ve done everything from scanning people’s brains to creating art installations with swarms of robots to building a website for a housing non-profit. I am dedicated to continually dabbling, learning, and never taking myself too seriously. Most of all, I am driven by empathy to do research that will impact people’s lives through the things that they use. When I’m not working, you can find me dancing at various venues, petting other peoples’ cats, and writing science fiction.